List of counts at Sponheim

The County of Sponheim went through roughly three main phases during the course of the centuries. The first one lasted from the beginnings in the 11th century until the first divisions of the county between two Sponheimish lines around 1234. In this first period the region was ruled by a single count.

Coat of arms of the House of Sponheim

In the second phase the county was managed by two counts. The “Further” County (Vordere Grafschaft) of Sponheim was ruled by the line Sponheim-Kreuznach with residence at Castle Kauzenburg near Kreuznach. The "Hinder" County (Hintere Grafschaft) of Sponheim was ruled by the Sponheim-Starkenburg line, with residence at first at Castle Starkenburg near Enkirch and after 1350 at Castle Grevenburg near Trarbach. This phase lasted nearly to the extinction of both lines in 1437.

Finally in the third phase both parts of the county were managed by joint rulers as a condominium. The management of the “Hinder” County of Sponheim was divided between a collateral palatine line (House of Palatinate-Simmern, later House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, later still House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld) and Baden, the management of the “Further” County of Sponheim roughly between Baden and the Electoral Palatinate. The ruling houses of the Sponheimish condominium were matrilineal descendants of the House of Sponheim and took on the title of Count at Sponheim (Graf zu Sponheim).

Counts of Sponheim

House of Sponheim
RulerBornReignDeathRuling partConsortNotes
Eberhard I?c.1030?-10441044SponheimUnknownFirst known count of the family.
Siegfried Ic.10101044-10657 February 1065SponheimUnknownAlso Count in the Puster Valley and Margrave of the Hungarian March
Stephen I?1065-10801080Sponheim? of Stromberg
at least one child		Cousin or brother of Siegfried.
Stephen II?1080-11181118SponheimSophia of Formbach
c.1092
five children
Meginhard Ic.10851118-11361136SponheimMatilda of Mörsberg-Nellenburg
one child		Also Count of Winterthur.
Godfrey Ic.11151136-11591159SponheimMatilda of Lorraine?
two children
Godfrey II?1159-11831183Sponheim? of Veldenz
one child
Godfrey IIIc.11751183-1218c.1218SponheimAdelaide of Sayn
1202
five children		Died during the Fifth Crusade. After his death, his children split the Sponheim domains.
John Ic.12051218-12661266
Upper Sponheim		? of Altena Isenberg
five children		Son of Godfrey III, inherited the Upper part of the county, with residence in Starkenburg.
Simon Ic.12101218-12648 April 1264
Lower Sponheim		Margaret of Hengebach
c.1240
six children		Son of Godfrey III, inherited the Lower part of the county, with residence in Kreuznach.
John I the Lamec.12451264-129028 January 1290
Lower Sponheim		Adelaide of Leiningen-Landeck
c.1265
seven children
Henry Ic.12351266-12891 August 1289
Upper Sponheim		Blancheflor of Julich
three/four children
John II the Lamec.12651289-132422 February/29 March 1324
Upper Sponheim		Catherine of Ochsenstein
three children		His heir predeceased him, being succeeded by his minor grandchild.
Henry II the Youngerc.1295c.1310-1323October 1323
Upper Sponheim		Loretta of Salm
January 1315
one child		Co-ruler of his father, died five months before him.
Simon IIc.12701290-13361336
Lower Sponheim		Elisabeth of Falkenburg
c.1293
nine children		 Sons of John I, shared rule in the county: John ruled from Kreuznach; Simon ruled from Kastellaun.
John IIc.12701290-134011 March 1340
Lower Sponheim		Unknown/Unmarried
Loretta of Salm (regent)c.13001324-13311345
Upper Sponheim		Henry II the Younger
January 1315
one child		Regent in name of her child, John III. In spite of being engaged in a trial of strength with one of the most powerful and influential princes of her time, the Elector of Trier Baldwin of Luxembourg, she devoted herself to putting Sponheim on a firm political and economic footing.
John III The Elderc.13151331-139830 December 1398
Upper Sponheim		Matilda of the Palatinate
1331
three children
Waleran13051336/40-13801380
Lower Sponheim		Elisabeth of Katzenelnbogen
9 August 1330
six children		Inherited the domains of his father (Kastellaun) and uncle (Kreuznach).
Simon IIIc.13301380-141430 August 1414
Lower Sponheim		Maria of Vianden
c.1345
three children
John IVc.13351398-1413/1416 October 1413/12 April 1414
Upper Sponheim		Elisabeth of Sponheim-Kreuznach
1346
one child
Elisabethc.13601414-141731 July 1417
Lower Sponheim		Engelbert III of the Mark
c.1381
no children

Rupert Pepin of the Palatinate
c.1390
no children		Eldest surviving daughter of Simon III. After her death, her estates were reunited with those of the Starkenberg line.
John V & III 1359 1413/14-1417 24 October 1437
Upper Sponheim		 Walpurga of Leiningen
c.1415
five children		 In 1417, after the death of Elisabeth, Count of Sponheim-Kreuznach, he reunited Sponheim once more, but died with no descendants. The family became extinct.
1417-1437 Sponheim

Successors in Upper and Lower Sponheim
Upper SponheimLower Sponheim
Palatinate-Veldenz
  • Frederick III, Count at Veldenz and Sponheim (1437–1444, O.C. 1437)

Palatinate-Simmern/-Birkenfeld/-Zweibrücken

  • Frederick I, Count Palatine (1444–1480, O.C. 1453)
  • John I (1480–1509)
  • John II (1509–1557, O.C. 1527)
  • Frederick II, 1559 Prince Elector Frederick III (1557–1560), as pledgeholder 1569 to 1571

Palatinate-Zweibrücken

  • Wolfgang at Veldenz (1560–1569)
  • John I (1569–1584 as regent to his brother Charles I)

Palatinate-Birkenfeld

(Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler receives Birkenfeld)

(Palatinate-Bischweiler-Birkenfeld acquires Zweibrücken)

Baden

 Electoral Palatinate


(Succession to Palatinate-Simmern line)

Palatinate-Simmern

(Extinction of the Simmern line, succession to Palatinate-Neuburg)

Palatinate-Neuburg

(Rightful successor was Count Palatine Maximilian of Zweibrücken (see “Upper” County))

Baden-Baden

(Extinction of the Baden-Baden line, succession falls to Baden-Durlach line)

Notes
  • O.C. = Oldest Count

References
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